The future is now for integrated, whole-person care
The word “Health” in the Wayne Health name signifies our commitment to improving the overall health and well-being of the communities we serve. Realization of that commitment is being achieved through our Center for Population Health Accountability (CPHA) at 400 Mack Ave. in Midtown Detroit. The CPHA brings academics, clinical care and community partnerships together in a fresh vision for multidisciplinary, integrated care aimed at improving health and related outcomes in our region.
The CPHA offers integrated, “whole-person” care aimed at prevention that addresses physical and psychological needs, as well as social determinants (poverty, housing, transportation, food insecurity, etc.) that affect a person’s health and well-being. With research showing that an individual’s health is determined far more by their behavioral, economic, social and environmental conditions than the medical care they receive, it’s an idea whose time has come.
Dedication to proactive community outreach
A key component of the CPHA is outreach to communities in need, using a proactive rather than reactive approach. Such activities will be driven by WSU’s Population Health OutcomEs aNd Information EXchange (PHOENIX) project, a public health data platform that combines clinical information from Michigan’s statewide health information exchange with geographic, socioeconomic and environmental data. PHOENIX will help identify chronic disease “hot spots,” to target specific health interventions to specific areas, measuring and tracking the impact.
While traditional health care focuses on improving outcomes for “high-risk/high-cost” patients, the CPHA emphasizes earlier intervention focusing on “at-risk” and “rising risk” populations through screenings and preventive care. Our goal is to avoid development of future debilitating and costly health conditions by focusing on upstream risk reduction.
Through community outreach partnerships and events, the CPHA also prioritizes care close to home, both in conventional health care settings, and non-traditional community locations, such as neighborhood pharmacies, barber and beauty shops, schools, outreach events, mobile units and telehealth.
Our goal is to grow the Center for Population Health Accountability so that it becomes an integral health, wellness and life resource for residents in Detroit and throughout southeastern Michigan, improving the lives of those in our region for generations to come.